Display-front for boxes



(No Model.)

E. L. CHAPFIN. DISPLAY FRONT FOR BOXES.

No. 540,555. P5555555 June 4.- 1895.

llll

INVENTOH I A7TOHNEY.

UNKTED STATES .PATENT V @FFIQE.

EDWARD L. CHAFFIN, O'F HELENA, ARKANSAS.

DlSPLAY-FRON T FOR BOXES.

I SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 540,535, dated June 4,1895.

' I Application filed February 13, 1895. serial natsaleo. on; model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. OHAF N, of Helena, in the county of.Phillips and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and ImprovedDisplay-Front for Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in the show fronts of boxes,especially to that class of boxes or receptacles in which crackers,nuts, cakes, .dried fruits and other small articles are contained, thefront being a display front, and the object of the invention is toprovide a means whereby the front may be divided into two sections, theupper section being a drop section,and to provide the drop section withend guards whereby when the said section is dropped downward so as toexpose the contents of the box the said contents will not spillout atthe ends of the section.

Another object of this invention is to pro vide an automaticallyoperating fastening or locking device for the drop section, and toconstruct the entire front in such manner that it may be secured toanydesired boxor receptacle.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part ofthis specification, in which similar figures and letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a displaybox having the improvementapplied thereto, the drop-section of the front being open. Fig. 2 is apartial side elevation of the said box, the front being closed. Fig. 3is a view similar to Fig. 2, the drop-section of the front being open;and Fig.4 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 4 4 ofFig. 3.

In carrying out the invention any form of box A may be employed toreceive the article to be displayed. Preferably, however, the box ismade rectangular in general contour, as shown in the drawings, and isprovided with an open front. The open front of the box, however, isadapted to be closed by a display front piece 13, and the said frontpiece, is made in two sections, an upper section b and a lower sectionb. Ordinarily the two :sections are of equal width, whereby the displayfront is divided into two equal parts. Each section of the display frontcomprises a frame 10 involving in the upper section a top bar and twoside bars, and in the lower section a bottom bar and two side bars, theside bars of the upper and lower sections being in registry; and in theframe of each of the sections a transparent pane 11 is preferablysecured in any suitable or approved manner. I

The displayfrontB may be secured to the front of the receptacle A bymeans of screws or other fastening devices, so that it may be removedentirely at any time, the fastening devices being located in thelowersection only, and may consist, as shown in the drawings, of two setscrews 12, and the opposing edges of the transparent pane 11 arepreferably incased in or bordered by metallic strips 12, or strips ofany anyfother material, the object of the strips being to prevent thehand of the operator from being cutor injured by the rough edges of theglass, since glass is the material usually employed for the transparentane.

p The two sections b and b of the display front are connected at theirends by means of hinges, preferably spring hinges, and each hingeconsists of a knuckle 13 which is secured to the lower section b, and aknuckle 14 secured to the upper section b where it joins the lower one,the two knuckles of each hinge being connected by a suitable pintle, asshown in Fig. 3, and any form of spring is employed to exert a closinginfluence upon the hinge.

At each end of the upper section b of the display front a plate 15 isadjustably secured, and each of the said plates represents in shape thesegment of a circle, one straight edge being the inner edge and theother straight edge being brought in engagement with the inner face ofan end bar of the upper section b, and at the lower straight edge ofeach plate 15 a horizontal inwardly-extending flange 16 is formed, setscrewslZbeing passed through slots 18 forin'edfin the flanges of theplates and into the frame of the upper section, whereby when the displayfront is attached to boxes of varying lengths the plates 15 may beadjusted inward or outward, as occasion may demand, and owing to thecylindrical upper edges of these plates they will readily pass withinthe receptacle A when the upper section b of the display front isclosed, as shown in dotted linesin Fig. 2; and when the said uppersection is brought downward to a horizontal position, as shown in Figs.1 and 3, these plates 15, which are practically guard plates, willprevent the contents of the receptacle from spilling over the ends ofthe drop 1 section Z) of the front. Ordinarilyin the construction ofthis form of a front, plain hinges are used, which necessitates holdingthe front down to a position which will admit of the contents of thereceptacle being removed.

The drop section is held in its upper or in its lower position throughthe medium of a locking device 0, which is of a spring character. Alocking device is pivoted at each end of the upper or drop section b ofthe front upon a screw 19, or its equivalent, located preferably atabout the central portion of the said ends.

Each locking device is made of a spring material, as for example wire,and is bent upon itself to form an eye to receive the stud or screw 19,twin shanks 20, a second eye 21 near its lower end, and a fork 22 at itslower extremity, as is best shown in Fig. 3.

A stud or pin 23 is secured to the outer side edge of the side pieces ofthe lower or fixed portion of the adjustable front convenient to theupper edge; and the said studs are made to pass between the members ofthe locking device. When the drop section of the display front iscarried to its horizontal position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, enablingthe contents of the box to be removed, the studs will have entered thelower eyes 21 of the fastening devices and the said drop section will beheld in its open position; and when the drop section is closed orcarried to its vertical position, shown in Fig. 2, the fastening deviceswill be drawn upward, and the studs when the section has reached itsclosed'position, will enter between the members of the fork 22,and willserve to hold the drop section in vertical alignment with the lowersection of the front and in closed engagement with the receptacle. Thusit will be observed that this display front may be attached to any formof box to which it is adapted in an expeditious and convenient manner;and also that the drop front may be opened and left open without anysupport from the hand, the fastening devices 0 serving to hold the dropsection in open or in provided with a stud or pin and the other sectionhaving a fastening device secured thereto and provided with seatsengaging the stud on the other section when the drop section is ineither a horizontal or vertical position, and securing the drop sectionin either of the said positions, as and for the purpose specified.

2. Adisplay front for boxes or other receptacles constructed in twosectious,one section having a hinged connection with the other sectionand adapted to drop to a horizontal position, or to be held in avertical position, guard plates located at the ends of the drop sectionand a locking device comprising parallel spring members provided withcommunicating seats, the said locking device being pivotally connectedwith one of said sections, and a stud or pin located upon the othersection and adapted to engage either of said seats, substantially asshown and described.

3. A display front for boxes orother receptacles, the same comprisingtwo sections having a hinged connection, the upper section being a dropsection and the lower section being provided with fastening devices forattachment to the receptacle, guards located at the ends of the dropsection, and a locking device comprising parallel spring-members pivotedto the drop section and receiving between them a stud or pin locatedupon the fixed section, the said spring members being bent outwardlyfrom each other at a predetermined point forming an opening or eyeadapted to receive the stud when the movable section is in thehorizontal position, and the ends of the said spring members forming afork to engage said stud when the movable section is in a verticalposition, as and for the purpose specified.

EDWARD L. CIIAFFIN.

Witnesses:

ANDREW JOHNSON, J 0s. L. SOLOMON.

